


Turn Back

by doomer



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Angst, B.O.Ws, Betrayal, Blood and Gore, Developing Relationship, F/M, Family, Family Bonding, Fluff, Graphic depictions of violence - Freeform, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Romance, Survival Horror, Trauma, brain control, but not too closely, inspired by RE4, original polt ish, trying to be scary but meh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:55:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28306386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doomer/pseuds/doomer
Summary: Inspired by RE4 but with a personal spin.Aspen Caddel never thought an invitation to a village cut off from the world could change her life forever. She will meet up with Leon on her quest to find the person she lost. The village is not what it seems, but while the sane turned back, she and Leon moved forward until it was too late to leave.
Relationships: Leon S. Kennedy/Original Character(s), Leon S. Kennedy/Original Female Character(s), Leon S. Kennedy/Reader
Comments: 9
Kudos: 21





	1. The Only Passenger

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you guys enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. This is the fruit of my latest obsession with Leon and I really hope I did him justice but who can really do that?

I was jolted awake as the bus hit yet another pothole. The road was scattered with them, and I was used to the old metal box rocking and shaking. However, that last one must have been deeper, needing the driver to step harder on the gas to get out of it.

It's to be expected that a road so far away from any cities or towns, far in the woods, would be this neglected. No sane person would venture out this far without a good reason, or at least half a reason.

A void of darkness swallowed the world outside my window. Only my reflection stared back at me with unease, illuminated by the flickering pale blue of the lights overhead. 

Looking around me, it was only then that I noticed the lack of passengers. The last time I was awake, there were at least twelve. Now it was just the driver and me wrapped in an eerie silence. Even then, the bus failed to smell like anything but shit.

Seeing no point in sitting in the back anymore, I picked up my backpack and moved closer to the driver, careful to keep my shoes from the suspicious fluid on the floor.

The closer I moved, the better I was able to pick up his incoherent rambling. At first, I thought he was on the phone. 

Great! Maybe I could ask to borrow it. My signal died miles ago, and in my impatience to get to my destination, I forgot to let anyone know where I was going.

Disappointment filled me when I realized he was only talking to himself...and the ten Jesus statues laid out in front of him on the dashboard. I think I saw a Buddha among them. I say, diversity of faith. 

His rearview mirror was given a similar treatment, weight down by dozens of different religious ornaments. Now I say, superstitious nut job. 

At least he kept his eyes on the road, despite his ramblings, which turned out to be prayers. I suppose driving at night to the middle of nowhere may require some divine protection from the...deer.

I sat down two rows behind him, placing my bag close to me, not that there is anyone left to steal it. As much as I was irritated by the group of drunken men who were here before, their absence, along with this darkness, kept my heart from a calm, steady rhythm.

As I started to drift off again, the bus screeched to a stop, and I banged my head on the seat in front of me. "Jackass," I groaned, rubbing my forehead and looking outside.

"Your stop is here. Get out." The driver snapped, speaking quickly as he held a cross to his chest. I rolled my eyes at his ridiculous behavior. Talk about professionalism. 

Seeing no lights, cars, infrastructure, or even a bus sign, I narrowed my eyes at the driver. "Is this some kind of joke to you? Wait for the last passenger so you could mess around?" I said, taking a cautious step back and reaching for the pepper spray bottle in my jacket pocket.

"Just do us both a favor and get out so I can turn back. I don't want to be here longer than I have to," he said nervously, grabbing my backpack before tossing it outside on the road.

"You son of a bitch!" I hissed, mad he threw it even though it only had clothes in it, nothing breakable.

"Just go, lady!" He cried nervously, his eyes darting around outside.

"Where is the village? You were supposed to take me there," I said, insistently, grabbing hold of his shoulder. He jumped at the contact, knocking my hand away.

"You have to go through the woods. This bus can't go up there without a road," he said, looking away from me.

"You people should have disclosed this before I bought the ticket," I grumbled. Letting out a long sigh, no point in arguing further.

I begin to exit the bus. Seeing me finally agree to get off, the bus driver went to buckle his seatbelt and resume praying. On my way down, I spotted a flashlight among his stashed belongings and quickly swiped it. They need to pay for false advertisement.

"Even if you don't find the village, they will find you," The driver said, not bothering to spare me a glance.

I didn't get a chance to question what he said because as soon as both my feet hit the road, the doors closed, and the bus somehow turned around on the tight road before racing away at full speed. 

Looks like my return ticket is just a piece of paper. 

Even though I was alone in the dark, the forest was very loud. Animals howled in the night while the trees rustled in the wind. There was not a moment of stillness.

It took a few jerks before the flashlight finally flickered on, illuminating just under ten feet in front of me. It was enough to light up the wooden sign and the dirt road beside it.

Farmourn village  
6 km

Looks like the driver lied, but why?

I picked up my backpack and as I began walking towards the road, a twig snapped.

It wasn't me. It came from behind me. 

Gripping the flashlight tighter, I whirled around. "who's there?" I called out but was met by silence, and no one, not even an animal, breathed a sound. The forest became quiet as if to hide from something.

I shivered, but not from the cold. 

I felt someone's eyes burn into me.

Nevertheless, I had to keep moving. It had been two weeks since I last spoke to my dad. I got a text message from him last night, asking me to come to this place, to him. And so, I did without a second thought, determined to find him and his reason for leaving.

I was so close, just a little further.

But why would he choose to go to such an isolated village? And why would he want me here?


	2. No Light

The sense of being watched along with the movements among the trees forced my legs to run faster even after my lungs protested. I struggled to find enough oxygen to keep my muscles going in my rapid shallow breaths. 

I didn't even know what I was running from, I didn't see anything, but my mind was going haywire, alert to every sound, and startled by my own shadow.

I tried to snap out of the paranoia, but I couldn't push down the panic longer than a second before it resurfaced twice as strong. My gut clenched, screaming at me to turn back, and to do so right this second. 

I couldn't turn back no matter how much I wanted to. Dad needed me. Plus, there won't be a bus heading this way anytime soon. The only way is to the village.

"Grow the fuck up," I said to myself, almost dropping the flashlight through my clammy fingers. If my older brother saw me like this, I wouldn't hear the end of it. If he were in my place, he probably would've threatened the bus driver to go up to the village and found dad hours ago. But I'm not Max. I'm just an idiot who got tricked.

Then I saw it, houses up ahead. Despite my burning lungs, I pushed forward even harder, wanting to be back among civilization. 

A set of rusted iron gates covered with veins greeted me as I ran into the village. I swelled with relief seeing the old shabby homes, but my dread sunk it like a ship mid-hurricane. 

As the night breeze suddenly dipped below freezing, I pulled my jacket closer to my body. My eyes darted around as I walked down a stone path, hoping to spot another person. 

I had no such luck. There was no one wondering outside, and not even one of the rough wooden houses held a twinkle of light. 

"I guess everyone is sleeping," I murmured, looking down at my phone. 

2:52 am.

My tired eyes scanned over the numbers, wishing for a moment of rest. Choosing a house at random, I walked up to the door, ready to knock. I was hoping they would either answer my questions or let me stay out of the cold until the morning.

Before my frozen knuckles touched wood, a rustling sound caught my attention. 

"Hello? Is anyone there?" I called out, walking towards the location where I last heard the noise. It was a crumbling shed; its doors barely held up by the rusted hinges. Taking a deep breath, I cautiously reached my hand to open the door.

The door flew open, and something jumped in my face. I screamed before shielding myself, stumbling back. 

I quickly shone the light on my assailant and felt my shoulders sag with relief.

Chickens. I was jumped by a group of chickens. I couldn't roll my eyes hard enough. 

Suddenly, my ears perked up to the sound of someone speaking. It wasn't just one person. The noise came from various places throughout the once sleepy village. I heard doors opening and several pairs of feet heading in my direction. My screaming must have woken everyone up. 

This ought to make finding dad much easier. I hope.

As a middle-aged man came into view, I excitedly ran up to him. "My name is Aspen Caddel, and I am so sorry to bother you so late at night, but I was hoping you could help find someone," I said, coming closer to him. He didn't answer in any meaningful way, simply groaned an incomprehensible jumble of words. 

"I'm looking for my father, Henry Caddel. He came to your village a few days ago. I was hoping...." my words died in my mouth as I got a closer look at the man. His clothes were splattered with red stains, and in his hand was a shovel whose metal was similarly colored. His groaning grew louder, or maybe it was the other villagers joining him.

As I looked into his eyes, my heart hammered in my chest. The irises were swallowed up by the pupils, appearing as two black gaping holes on his face.

"Sir, please just let me go. I'm sorry I woke you up, but this is not the solution." I pleaded, finally listening to my gut and backing away. I turned around, ready to make a dash out of there, only to realize I was surrounded. Men and women, dressed in filthy clothes, held pitchforks and other sharp farming tools. Their groaning was incomprehensible, but it was said in unison.

Something struck me in the back of the head, knocking me to the ground. In the mere instant that I turned away from the middle-aged man, he took the opportunity and attacked me. I shouldn't have given him my back.

Black spots danced to the ringing in my ears as the world spun around me, or maybe it was me spinning around the world. I wasn't sure anymore. A warm liquid trickled down my face, but the cold night air stole all its warmth.

I groaned, attempting to push myself up on shaky hands. I failed to get up and instead crawled away just in time before the shovel came down once again, igniting sparks as it struck the stone.

I couldn't crawl far enough before a hand reached down and almost uprooted my hair, dragging me on my back. My eyes filled with tears as I winced from the sharp pain. "Get off of me!" I screamed, digging my nails into the hands.

As more hands reached to grab me, I kicked with all my remaining strength, hitting a woman square in the jaw. I watched in triumph as a couple of teeth fell out, and her jaw hung by the skin of her face, its bones broken. My eyes grew wide when she continued her advances, unbothered by the pain and the blood trickling out of her mouth.

My shock was short-lived as my head was smashed to the ground, taking away all voluntary control of my body.  
"Dad! Help me. Dad-" I cried, feeling myself slip away.


	3. A friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what your thoughts are!

Before my eyes opened, I caught the unmistakable smell of decay. It had me fighting to keep my stomach contents where they belonged. This was much worse than a piece of raw meat left to sit on the counter for a week. That one wasn't my doing, I swear.

I seriously didn't want to know the origin of the smell. Something told me it would leave a permanent mark in my mind.

I was lying on my back with the worst kind of headache. The room was dark, save for the moonlight peeping at my pathetic state through wide cracks in the roof. Soon my eyes adjusted to the darkness, and what looked like a butcher's backroom came into better focus. 

Then I saw the cause of the smell. 

I screamed upon seeing the dozens of bodies hung by hooks from the ceiling. It was a feast for every maggot within a one-mile radius. I could discern the remains of what looked like police uniforms draped over the grey, decomposing bodies. They moved ever so slightly as the maggots ate them from the inside. At least that's what I think was inside.

As I looked over what was left of their human features, I breathed a sigh of relief. My dad was not among them. I know it was wrong to feel comforted while others died so gruesomely, no one knowing what became of them. I just couldn't help it.

As a maggot dropped next to my leg, I scrambled to get away, but a different kind of scream left me. Piercing hot pain shot through my hand as I attempted to move it. I began sobbing uncontrollably as I finally noticed the nail pinning my hand to the wooden floor, straight through flesh and bone. They must've done it while I was unconscious.

This was definitely a better restraining method than a rope, but much more painful. 

I laid on my back, breathing through clenched teeth as I rode through the never-ending waves of pain. "What am I supposed to do?" I whispered to myself, alone in the dark.

What would Max do? 

I sat up slowly, careful not to move the hand, and took several deep breaths to prepare myself for what was coming. This is fine, I'll just count to three, and then I will pull it up.

I can do this.

"One, two-" I whimpered, digging my nails into my thigh, trying to force out some courage to say three. "No, I can't. I can’t." 

'You have to do it. It's the only way,' Max's voice echoed in my mind, telling me what I already know. I was never going to ready my mind for the decision to inflict pain on myself. Every survival instinct in my body was designed to avoid pain, not self-inflict it.

I sunk my teeth into my shirt, and without thinking, I grabbed my injured hand before pulling upwards as hard as I could. The wet, slick sound of flesh tearing was sickening, but the pain overshadowed that, ripping me apart. I kept my eyes sealed shut, forcing myself to stay conscious as I worked to free myself. I tried to keep my screams contained. If they didn't hear my first scream, they were bound to hear my second.

As my hand came free, I fell back, silently sobbing, and held my wrist tightly. I stayed as still as I could, waiting for the pain and the dizziness to subside just enough for me to move.

As soon as it became bearable, I pulled myself to my feet and walked towards the room's only exit—a decayed wooden door. Nearing the door, I noticed several gaps in the walls, allowing me to glance outside. It was dark, but I could make out some shapes.

What was outside wasn't any better than what was in here. Two men- or should I say murderous villagers guarded the door. Looking to the left, I saw a door at the end of a long hallway.

Pondering over the possibility of getting past them successfully, a set of gaping black eyes made contact with mine. I gasped before immediately crushing next to the wall, hoping he didn't see me in the darkness. I clamped my uninjured hand over my mouth and stopped breathing, staying as still as possible.

'Just go away, just go away,' I prayed silently. No one was listening to my prayers. The man pushed the door open, its hinges wailing from years of neglect. 

As he put one foot forward into the room, I thought it was over. There was no reason why they wouldn't kill me as they killed all those people. I don't even know what they are waiting for. They had the perfect chance while I was passed out.

Before he took another step inside, his head snapped up in the air. My body trembled as I thought he realized I freed myself. All he had to do was look down and see me crouching by the door.

Mumbling aggressively, he and his partner began running towards something down the hall. My confusion was answered by the sound of gunshots in the distance echoing off the building's crumbling walls. 

Seeing my chance, I ran in the opposite direction the villagers took. Going to the door at the end of the hallway, I threw it open. Cradling my hand, I ran through a hallway lined by doors on one side and windows on the other. There was much more moonlight illuminating this area. A long red carpet covered the rotting wooden floor. The wallpaper had long since retired decades before, peeling for the mold to take over.

From the windows, I saw myself at least three floors up. A jump was a plummet to my death. As I heard footsteps coming my way in a hurry, I threw open a door at random and took refuge inside. I shut the door immediately and set out to search for a weapon. 

This was once a kitchen. But now, its stainless-steel counters were rusted, and its pots heaving with roaches and rats fighting over spoiled food.

I didn't even have time to wrinkle my nose in disgust before I spotted the knives scattered carelessly on the counter. My hands shook as I rummaged through them, throwing aside the broken ones. As I sliced my hand on one, I knew it was the one, sharp and intact. I picked it up before running to hide behind the door. My hand didn't stop bleeding, making the knife slippery as I held it tightly with both hands.

There were so many other rooms to search, what were the chances they would choose this one? 

I was hoping to not have a confrontation, but nothing seemed to be going my way. The door flew open, and the first thing I saw were hands gripping handgun. A man rushed into the room, surveying his surroundings. 

Stepping closer to his back as silently as I could, I raised the knife over my head before driving it into his back.

Before I could so much as scratch him, his hand reached behind him and knocked the knife easily out of my already slippery hands. It clattered several feet away. 

I only had a second to cry in pain as my wrist was twisted before my feet were kicked out from under me. I slammed onto my back with a gun pointed at my face and a heavy body crushing me down.

"Get-" I struggled to speak, but it sent me into a fit of coughing and wheezing.

Suddenly the gun was replaced by a flashlight pointing right in my face. I turned away from its brightness, but his hand reached out and gripped my chin tightly, forcing me to look back at him.

"Get off of me!" I wheezed, trying to pry his hands away.

"You're not one of them. Your eyes look human, and you're speaking English." He said calmly but did not retract his hand. "Who are you?" 

"Why would I tell you?" I said, struggling even harder. Forgetting about my injured hand, I raised it to slap him. 

He grabbed it in a crushing grip, inches from his face. The cries of pain that left my mouth weakened his grip on both my hand and chin. He let go, lifting his weight off me.

"You're hurt," He said, inspecting my hand. With his thumb, he pushed my hair aside to examine the dried blood on my head. I swatted his hands away and crawled backward, trying to put some distance between us. Closer to the knife.

"Don't touch me," I said breathless, feeling the room spin. "How do I know you're not with them? You attacked me."

"You tried to stab me first. Don't forget that," he said, slowly moving towards me again. I flinched as he stretched out his hand to me. "Let me help you. That hand of yours won't stop bleeding on its own, that is, if it doesn't get infected first."

He was handsome. I'll give him that. Brown hair fell over blue eyes framing a boyish face. He looked as if he saw his fair share of the horrors of the world and lived.

This could be a trick. He could be lying. Max always said to turn down the offers of pretty boys. They always had ulterior motives. Always wanting something in return. 

"No, I'll have to pass on the offer," I said, turning away from him. I laid my back against the wall, cradling my hand as I waited for him to leave. 

He didn't move from his spot. Instead, a bottle rolled my way, stopping at my foot. I looked at him, confused, but he nodded towards it. After inspecting the bottle, I realized it was antiseptic. 

"Name's Leon," He said, throwing a packet of gauze beside me. "Regardless of whether I do it or you do it, that wound needs to be taken care of,"

"Why would you help me? Why betray them?" I said, looking at him suspiciously. 

He chuckled, looking at me with amusement. "Me? A member of a crazed village isolated in the mountains? I don't think so. If I were, I wouldn't have to practice my headshots so often."

"You're the one who was firing the gun earlier," I said, as I looked at him with wide eyes. I glanced over him, taking in his brown jacket, black cargo pants, and sleeveless black leather gloves. "If you’re not one of them, then...why are you here?" 

"I could ask you the same thing," he said, moving closer to me slowly. Having established that he didn't intend to hurt me, I felt less threatened by him.

"I'm looking for someone," I said, struggling to unscrew the antiseptic bottle with only one hand. Using my teeth was not an option as the bottle had rolled on the filthy floor. I don't think the five-second role is valid in this place. I could catch the plague trying to disinfect a wound.

"I am as well," he said, reaching over to take the bottle from me. He uncapped it and handed it to me. "This person must be important enough for you to come all the way out here,"

"It's my dad. He... wanted me to come here for some reason. His job takes him away from home for months at a time, but he always gives us updates at least once a week. But he was quiet for the last two weeks. No texts. No calls. Not a word until yesterday." I said in defeat. 

There was no way I could find him now with all those murderous villagers out and about. I failed. What if they killed him? Why did he choose to contact me? Max was so much stronger, much more reliable than I ever could be. But maybe this is better. I wouldn't want my brother within a thousand miles of this place.

I poured the antiseptic straight on the wound, wincing from the fire that burned through my hand. I deserved this for being so damn useless. I took the gauze he handed me and began wrapping my hand.

"Interesting," He said, snapping my attention back to him. "Did your dad call you? Did he actually speak to you?"

"No... he only sent a text message," I said, glancing back at him with furrowed brows.

"Are you sure the person you spoke to is your dad?" he said carefully, putting his hand on my shoulder. 

As his words sunk in, my eyes widened, and my hands trembled. "No, no no-" I said in disbelief, tears burned their way down my cheeks. 

"Just think about it, what kind of father would drag his daughter into a place like this?"

"Then do you think he's.... that they.... killed him?" I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. 

"Maybe, and maybe not."

"What kind of answer is that?" 

"We are both here for the same person. Henry Caddell."

"That’s my dad! How do you know him?" I said, my voice rising as I fisted my hand into the front of his jacket. He brought his finger to his lips, and I gave him an apologetic look.

"We both work for the D.S.O., which is directly under the orders of the president of the united states," He said, taking the gauze from me to continue wrapping my hand. "He was sent here on a mission, but something must've gone wrong. We lost contact, same as you, about two weeks ago. I was sent here to find out what happened to him and retrieve any information he uncovered."

"Why would they send him to such a dangerous place? Alone! His life is on your hands, you and the fucking D.S.O!" I shouted, pushing against his chest. I didn't care if they heard us.

"Do you want them to find us?" He hissed, grabbing my arms, and giving them a vigorous shake. 

"I don't care if they find us! My dad was sent to die by the very people he trusted." I cried, laying all the hatred I felt in my eyes for him to absorb.

"Your dad is no ordinary man. He completed the same special training that every elite agent in the D.S.O received. And to top it off, he has over a decade of experience in the field and lived. Even I can't top that. Do you understand? With all that behind your dad, I don't think he's dead. We'll find him. I promise you."

Something about him made me want to hang onto every word coming out of his mouth. 

I dared let it take root again. Hope.   
Not just for getting out, but for leaving with dad. Alive.

I felt stupid for my outburst and slightly cheated. I knew my dad worked somewhere in the government, but I never imagined this. He never told me about this part of his life, and I suppose it was for a good reason. I felt like a little fucking kid. 

"But his phone..." 

"Someone from the village must've gotten hold of his communication devices and sent you the message," he said, replacing his grip on my arms with gentle strokes of his thumbs. "They want you here for a reason. I think they hope to draw Henry out of hiding with you as a hostage."

"Oh, no!" I panicked. I came here wanting to help him, only to be the one thing that would leave him most vulnerable. 

"Listen. I won't let that-" 

The unmistakable sound of a chainsaw shook the walls. Both our heads snapped in its direction. It was still off several rooms away, but it might as well be right outside this room.

"Time to go," Leon said, getting to his feet and stretching out his hand to me. 

"Aspen," I said, taking his hand. "My name." 

"I know. Your dad talks a lot about you."


	4. Hunter

The sound of the chainsaw was getting closer and closer to our room.

"Light steps," Leon whispered before grabbing my wrist. He turned off his flashlight as we crept out of the room, quickly glancing down the empty hallway.

As we moved, I glanced back just in time to see an eruption of drywall dust exit the room we were just in. The chainsaw was switched off, replaced with the sound of an inhuman high-pitched screeching and heavy footsteps. 

What the hell was that?

"It probably found your blood. Now it definitely knows we've been here. Your father and his intel are the main priority. Fighting isn't. Let's hurry." He said, picking up the pace and leading me down a flight of stairs. The steps were high, and due to decay, they were slightly sloped forward, making the trip down a tumble to your death kind of hazard.

"What were you shooting at earlier? Before you found me?" I asked quietly, trying to stick close to him, my hand tightly gripping the back of his shirt.

"I was ambushed," He said before letting go of my wrist and shining his flashlight down the stairs with his gun in firing position.

"By the villagers?"

"No, something a little worse. I'm hoping not to come across that thing again in this lifetime." He said as he began carefully walking down the stairs. I let go of his shirt, and all I could do was stare at his back with wide eyes, rooted to the spot. 

Something worse than murderous villagers?

My imagination ran rampant, conjuring up every possible monstrosity I'd ever seen in a movie, story, or game. This isolated away from civilization, anything was possible. These villagers killed innocent people who likely stumbled on the wrong place at the right time. Their eyes terrified me. There was something so very wrong with them. What else could be hiding in the dark corners of this cursed place?

Noticing I wasn't following him anymore, he looked back at me. "You ok?" 

I didn't answer as I stared back into his blue eyes. He moved with confidence, knowing exactly what he was doing. Nothing about the situation seemed to faze him as if he'd been through similar if not worse situations. Maybe things will turn out fine. His sense of calmness helped to reign in my panic.

"Yeah," I said, catching up with him. 

One of the steps collapsed, and I fell through. I tried to grab onto a rail but it too, came apart. 

I landed facedown one floor down, scraping my knee and elbows. 

"Fuck," I groaned, not from the pain but for being so fucking careless. He's bound to ditch me now. Even I would ditch my pathetic clumsy ass. "Leon, I think you should just go on without me. At this rate, we'll never find my dad."

Seconds later, Leon jumped down the hole, landing next to me on his feet. "Want to say that again? I didn't quite hear you." He said before placing his hands around my waist to help me stand. I was unsteady on my feet and leaned against the wall for support.

"I said-" Leon caged me against the wall, hands on either side of my head.

"I know what you said, but I don't care. I'm not leaving you behind. Your dad will never forgive me. I wouldn't forgive me either." He said with eyes of steel. 

I couldn't look away from his eyes, no matter how much I willed it. My eyes did what they wanted, glancing down at his lips and then back at his eyes. He was the one to close the distance, his face leaning closer as his eyes never strayed from mine.

Rubble rained down from above. 

Whatever moment we had was broken, and we returned to the horrible reality. We looked up to the source but couldn't see any movement or hear a sound. 

My heart thumped against my chest, threatening to break out as I waited for anything to happen. The stillness was a killer. 

An explosion of rubble had us both shielding our eyes and coughing our lungs out. Something heavy had broken through the wall.

Before I could process anything, Leon shoved me out of the way just as a live chainsaw nearly trimmed off my arm like an overgrown branch. The sound of the saw rocked the walls.

"Run Aspen!" Leon shouted, firing several shots at our attacker. I was frozen as I looked at him, or should I say it? I didn't know if I was looking at a human or something else, something unnatural. It continued its advances unaffected by the bullets burrowing into its chest.

It stood at seven feet tall as it tried to attack Leon. The only thing it wore was a tattered pair of pants, giving us a full view of a skinless body of warped muscle. The head was wrapped by a metal mask, protecting both the front and back of his head. As Leon attempted to kick one of the chainsaws out of its hand, it didn't budge, and we soon realized why. The metal handle of the chainsaw was welded to the bone. 

Its leg kicked out, sending Leon flying into a wall. Not wasting a second, it propelled the saws straight for Leon's head. 

Crack!

I hit it as hard as I could with a wooden stick I found near my foot. The stick shattered on its head, and it stood frozen for a second before its head snapped right to where I stood. Its eyes were similar to that of the villagers. But somehow, they were much more terrifying. Perhaps it was the warped body the eyes were attached to that made them increasingly chilling.

"Aspen, no! I told you to run godammit!" Leon shouted, stumbling to his feet, and reloading his gun.

It turned swiftly before running straight for me. I took off running as fast as I could down the stairs before slipping and falling. I cursed my clumsiness my whole life, but today it saved me as I fell. The chainsaw missed my head by an inch. Instead, it trimmed off the split ends of my hair. 

"Not the girl, you fool! He dies. I need the girl alive." A male voice roared. I looked up, just in time to see a man in a lab coat leaning on the rails two floors up, glaring down on us.

As the monster was momentarily distracted by what appeared to be its master, Leon ran towards me before throwing me over his shoulder and running down the stairs. High pitched screeching followed us as the monster gave chase. I fisted my hand into Leon’s shirt tightly as I saw the monster coming. 

Seeing a door, he quickly kicked it open before sprinting down the hallway with me over his shoulder.

"Leon, put me down! I can run." I said, feeling my face grow hot. I know it was defiantly not the time to feel embarrassed. Here we are about to get chopped to pieces and I was blushing because a handsome stranger carried me over his shoulder.

"That’s not the concern here. The concern is the identity of that man up there. I guess we'll find out when that steroid addicted Edward scissor hand wannabe isn't after us." 

“How the hell do we lose him?” 

“There! down the laundry chute.” Leon said, and I tried to look at what he was talking about, but everything was upside down.

“Oh no! Its locked!” I cried, spotting the rusted chains and lock over the small door.

Bang! 

Leon shot the lock, and the chains came apart.

“Not anymore. Now get ready!” The door to the laundry chute slid open just in time as Leon threw me straight into it before leaping in after me.


	5. Further Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me what you think! Hope you will like it.

I screamed as I slid down the shaft, reminded of the reason I avoided slides, waterpark or not. I wasn't a fan of that intense shot of adrenaline and mini heart attacks that came free of charge. I was too absorbed in the fall to really feel the pain as a sharp piece of metal shredded the side of my jeans, scraping my skin. 

There was a split second where I was in free fall as the shaft ended, flailing my arms to try and grab onto something. I landed on my back in a container cushioned by the linins overflowing out of it. Before I could get up, Leon landed on top of me. The force of the collision knocked the breath out of my lungs. He was heavy, pushing my body further into the linins.

The sound of the chainsaw disappeared, replaced by high-pitched screeching that, too, faded away. I breathed out a sigh of relief, only to stop breathing altogether.

"Are you ok?" he asked, his eyes searching my face for any signs of distress.

I just exhaled right into Leon's face, and I don't think my breath was half as charming as my morning breath. But that wasn't all. My face heated up as I became overly aware of how close we were. Leon lay on top of me with one thigh between my legs while bracing himself up on his elbows. My hands had somehow found their way onto his chest. 

I blushed even harder as I felt how defined his muscles were beneath his thin shirt. Without even meaning to, my hands wandered over his abs, finding them just as defined. I jerked my hands back as if burned by a hot rod. The fires of embarrassment burned pretty damn hot.

I'm an idiot.

"You're heavy," I whispered, not meeting his eyes. From the corner of my eye, I saw the traces of a smile on his lips. I expected outright disgust, but all he did was fucking smile. His endurance was something else.

"Sorry about that," he said before rolling off me. 

"Looks like we're safe. For now," he said, nodding at the laundry chute. He gracefully swung his body out of the container before helping me out.

"How long will that last?" 

"I'll make sure it'll last as long as possible, but you never know what could be around the next corner," he said, reloading his gun and checking his ammo. 

He took my hand in his, and we set out of the room. This level seemed like a storage area, priming with old furniture and crates, making for some easy hiding places. We navigated the floor like that, avoiding the villagers by hiding. I felt like a rat scurrying around in the dark. But a live rat is much better off than a dead human.

As we walked, Leon suddenly clicked off his flashlight before turning to me and grabbing my waist. He sent us diving over the back of a couch. 

We landed on the cushions—my back glued to his front as we lay on our side. Leon's hand never left my waist as his other hand reached up to cover my mouth. I wanted to get mad at him for constantly doing whatever he wanted without warning, but he must've heard something I missed. Better to keep my mouth shut for now.

Then I heard it. A half dozen pairs of footsteps rang in the distance.

The wait was pure terror. The fear of being discovered only grew as the noises grew closer. The villagers walked slowly, groaning in unison as they went. As the first one passed us, I saw his shadow move on the wall, along with the silhouette of his pitchfork.

He didn't notice us.

The rest followed after him, and just when I thought we were in the clear, one of them suddenly turned around. 

He ran forward before kicking over a coffee table. A rat screeched for the last time before he hit it with a single thrust, impaling on the pitchfork. Blood dripped down the weapon, drizzling his hands as he lifted it up, but he didn't seem to mind.

Feeling satisfied with his findings, he walked away while taking the rat out of his pitchfork and biting off the head. The crunching sound stirred up my stomach contents.

Once they were all gone, and we no longer heard any signs of movement, Leon's hand left my mouth, and I parted my lips to let out the breath I was holding and relaxed fully against Leon's body. Exhaustion hit all at once, doubling the weight of my limbs.

"While I wouldn't mind staying like this, we need to get moving," Leon said before getting up. While I couldn't agree more, my body wanted so badly to have a say in this. And that say was to stay there lying next to Leon.

My hand found his as if by instinct. I couldn't deny how well my hand seemed to fit in his. Enveloped by a constant supply of warmth.  
"What the hell is this place? And why was my dad sent here?" I asked the question that has been eating at my mind.  
"Trust me. You don't want to know," he dismissed me quickly, and that made me frown.

"But I do. Please Leon, I need to know." I said, tugging at the back of his jacket. He paused for a minute before turning to face me.

"Your dad was sent here to investigate a group suspected of producing bio-organic weapons. If the D.S.O sent a full squadron down here, the big bosses would've likely made out with at least a sample before making a getaway. At the same time, their disposable mercenaries would be left behind as a distraction. They would go into hiding for a time before starting production again elsewhere. Discretion is necessary when you are dealing with guys like this."

"So, this place is like an exclusive monster factory. How are they doing this?"

"I suppose a monster factory is one word for it. The subjects are innocent humans who were forced to undergo horrific experimentation. Often times, these people are just migrant workers lured in with false job promises. The families get told their loved one died on the job, and since they are poor to start with, no one is able to investigate further or even request the bodies be returned. It's a clever loophole even if it's an unethical play with the lives of the poor."

"Why would someone do something so twisted?" I said, feeling my heart clench. It was a terrible fate. As long as those organizations continue to exist, this story will be told over and over again—each time with a new unfortunate soul.

"Money. A shit ton of it. The black market can attract customers looking for extremely specific things. Those who can afford them use the B.O.Ws to win wars and carry out terrorist attacks around the world."

"So, they sell monsters like the chainsaw guy?" I said, seeing the frightening advantage he could give—a cheating advantage.

"Things like him aren't rare. There are many cheap variants of that guy on the black market. What's more concerning is the villagers."

"What do you mean?" I said, furrowing my brows as my curiosity peaked. I thought the chainsaw man was more deadly.

"I suspect someone, or something is controlling their minds. It's the only explanation for their behavior. My concern is how one gets infected with the mind control."

"Oh god, this keeps getting better. So, what's the plan now? We can't keep running around this place blindly." I said, feeling slightly sick to my stomach. He was right. I wish I never knew all this. I wish I stayed swaddled up in my bubble of ignorance. Knowing that someone sick enough to turn innocent people into monsters and stick a price tag on them boiled my blood. This world was always a hideous place. Only now did I begin to see it as such.

"Finding Henry's communication devices may give us clues. I tried interrogating a few villagers, but they were…unhelpful. I don't speak gibberish."

"Right. Where to start?" I asked, hoping he would have some sort of plan of action. I had a goal, but I had no idea as to how to achieve it. How do I find dad if I didn't even know where I was?

"We may find what we are looking for in a part of the compound that is more developed, and with electricity. I wasn't sent here empty-handed. I have a map of the satellite imagery of the area." He said, pulling out a cellphone like a device. The bright light of the device projected a map onto the wall in front of us.

"Now that's cool. Got any more tricks up your sleeve?" I asked, and for a moment, my mood was lifted. I smiled and turned to find him sporting a smile of his own as he looked at me.

"What have I been doing all day? Damn lady, you watch too many movies. The bar is too high."

"Don't blame me, blame your employers. They didn't buy enough fancy toys. You should ask for a raise instead, for all the hazards of the job."

"Well, the job does come with great benefits, and the pay isn't half bad. Either way, fancy toys just aren't my style. I'm rather good with a gun."

"Are we bragging?" I said with a chuckle, tracing my fingers over the projection to try and locate us. 

"What if I was." He said, covering my hand with his as he stood close behind me. My heartbeat so hard and loud, could he hear it? Feel it? 

But it wasn't just my heart. His heart pumped just as frantically as my own. I felt it as he came closer.

The moment was broken, and we moved apart as we heard a loud ruckus. The sound of groaning came from multiple directions, and we soon realized how cornered we were. 

"Shit! Aspen, you can be hella distracting." Leon said, holding out his gun in a firing position. His eyes darted between every doorway for the villagers to emerge. We couldn't close the doors as there were none, just archways. 

"Hey! Don't blame the distraction. Blame yourself for going off track." I said as I frantically looked around for a way to escape. All options went out the window as the villagers came at us from all sides. My eyes widened as I looked up.

"Leon!" I called to him, and he quickly glanced back at me. "Vents."

There above us was an opening into the vents. It was uncovered and large enough for a human to fit through.

His eyes widened, and he immediately looked up before getting down on one knee. 

"What are-"

"I am giving you a boost." He said before holding his hands together. Finally catching on, I ran forward and stepped with one foot against his hands. He launched me up towards the vent opening. I climbed inside and was about to reach my hand down to help Leon.

"Aspen, Move back!" Leon said, and I scrambled to move out of the way just in time to see him run towards a wall before jumping and using it to launch himself to grab hold of the edge of the vent. He lifted himself inside with ease. Despite the situation, I could help but admire the way he moved.

"This way." He said and began crawling through the grimy vent. I followed after him. 

The vent was sturdy beneath us, despite the occasional shaking in the areas rich with rust.

As my hand came down on something squishy and wet, I looked down to see that I had just squished the innards of a dead rat. I opened my mouth to scream, only for Leon's hand to seal my mouth shut.

"I knew you were going to scream when you saw it." He whispered before crawling forwards again. I shivered in disgust before quickly wiping my hand on my pants and rushing to catch up with Leon.

As I was just about to place my hand down to move, a chainsaw blade tore through the vent, separating me from Leon. 

"Shit! Aspen, crawl back quickly." Leon's voice was overwhelmed by the sound of the chainsaw turning on. I turned around to crawl away as the chainsaw filled the small space with sparks, tearing through metal.

I didn't get three feet before another chainsaw blocked my path. Together, they tore through the vent, leaving it unstable. I glanced back at Leon just as the floor gave away. It fell, taking me with it. 

As it crashed to the ground, pain erupted all over my body. I didn't even get time to recover before the top of the vent was ripped off, and an army of hands grabbed me, tugging at my clothes and hair.


	6. You Are Invited

Leon quickly jumped down from the exposed vent. He immediately began unloading rounds into the crowd, gifting several villagers with precise headshots. They showed no signs of concern as their companions fell with a thud motionless on the floor.

Leon tried to reach me, only for the distance between us to grow larger as the horde of villagers closed in. No matter how many he shot, backhanded, or kicked out of the way, there was an endless supply of opponents to replace them.

I was dragged away, but not before witnessing true horror. The head of a villager who was taken down in a headshot exploded. There was a convulsing movement in the chest before three slimy tentacles emerged from within the body, spraying everything within ten meters with a black fluid.

The tentacles thrashed around with an irregular pattern, but as the creature neared Leon, the tip of each tentacle's developed into a sharp blade consisting of what looked like bone.

The tentacles coiled together, converging their blades before making a sweep of everything around it in a full circle. Leon ducked out of the way just in time by kicking several villagers in front of him. The top of their torso slid off as the blades sliced cleanly through their flesh. Several villagers who were standing behind the creature weren't spared. They too, lost their heads, literally. 

It was a horrific sight. People mindlessly shuffling around unconcerned by the obvious danger lurking right next to them. Even as it sliced through their companions, they didn't move to safety. Instead, they continued their advances.

The blades sliced forward again, but Leon was quick to dodge. Rather than strike Leon, it found itself impaling three villagers right through the stomach. Bowels and blood gushed out of the wounds, yet the villagers showed no sign of pain, their arms still reaching to grab Leon even as the creature painted the wall with their blood to free its blade.

Too much was happening all at once, too many sensations, sights, sounds, flashing lights, and smells. My head was spinning. I tried to focus and locked my eyes on the recoiling of Leon's gun as he shot the legs to cripple the creature.

Before I was dragged into the next room, our eyes locked with a shared emotion. Worry for the another.

His face hardened, his jaw set, his mind was made. He didn't have to say the words, but I knew he had just promised that he will come for me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
I woke up strapped to a chair, my wrists locked against the handles by a metallic bracelet. My ankles were also bound to the foot of the chair. I winced as my eyes opened, blinded by the bright lights up above. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw a man leaning against the stone-grey walls.

He stared at me with a smile sharper than razor blades. Looking at his lab coat, I recognized him as the same man I saw on the staircase, the one who controlled that monster with the chainsaw. His long brown hair was in a braid that reached midback. He wasn't especially tall, but with me sitting down and the cold, calculating look in his eyes, he seemed a lot more menacing. I felt my skin crawl under his penetrating gaze.  
My eyes widened as I looked around me, searching for Leon. As I realized it was just the scientist and me, my heart dropped, crippled by the possibility that something happened to him.  
"My name is Dr. Ivanov. Welcome to my-"  
"What did you do to Leon." I spat, giving the man an icy glare. I fought against the restraints with a bruising force, wanting to lay my hands on this son of a bitch.  
"Ah, agent Leon S. Kennedy. We were expecting him."   
He said, pushing off the wall to walk closer to me. "He lives for now. But you shouldn't concern yourself with him. He's not who you think he is."  
"What are you talking about?" I frowned, waiting for the bullshit to spill out of his mouth.  
"Everything he likely told you is a lie."  
"Oh, you want to play that game. Sorry pal, I'm twenty years too old to fall for that trick."  
"How do you know he doesn't want to steal the fruits of our labor for himself? How do you know if the so-called D.S.O truly has the best interest of this country? How do you know they won't secretly deploy it in a war? They follow the orders of the president, but we all know how greedy and corrupt these old fuckers all are."  
"Cut the bullshit. You can trash them all you want, but at the end of the day, it was you and only you who turned innocent people into monsters and then called it the fruits of your oh so hard labor. You don't get to talk about justice after all that you've done."  
"The little girl has a spine," he said, circling around me like a vulture ready to swoop down.

He ran his fingers through my hair. It was gentle but still repulsive. Then he fisted his hand tightly into it. "Just like your father." He spat, clutching my hair tightly. My eyes teared up, feeling as if my scalp was being peeled off my skull.  
"What did you do with my dad?" I screamed through my teeth, fighting the restraints.  
"It's not a question of what I did. It's what I will do."  
"You couldn't kill him," I said, heaving a sigh of relief. There was a chance my dad could escape.  
"I'm working on changing that scenario. You see, your father stole the parent Las plagas, and it's rather important to me. I want it back as soon as possible. The Las plagas parasite provides the eggs which I need to infect new subjects. When eggs hatch, the parasite has total control of its host, and I, in turn, control the parasite. Without the parent Las Plagas, I am unable to fully control the hosts. I've had to resort to artificial means to keep my control, but it's difficult. Especially with the stronger host forms."  
"Why are you telling me all this?"  
"Oh, because you're never leaving this place. Not even as a corpse. We're going to have a little party, and you will be the invitation that will bring the two agents straight into my hands." he said, bending down to place his hands over my cuffs as he leaned close to my face. "That's why I fooled you into coming here."  
It was happening. What Leon predicted is about to be reality. I will used to lure out dad.  
"I will never help you," I said through clenched teeth and spat in his face. His smile slipped, leaving him with a face devoid of anything that would suggest he ever had a soul.  
My cheek slammed against my teeth as he backhanded me. My tastebuds were overcome with a metallic taste as blood trickled down the corner of my mouth, "Even if you try harder. I won't help you," I repeated firmly.  
"Oh darling, you won't have to do anything. Your voice will do the job just fine." He said with eyes gleaming full of sinister intentions. "Bring it." He ordered, and I sat there confused for a moment, unsure if he spoke to me. He wasn't talking to me. He had just given an order to someone in the next room.

A man walked in, wheeling a cart. As he came closer, I noticed the wide array of torture instruments. A recording device lay among the sharps. My toes curled back, and I felt beads of sweat coat my forehead and drip down my neck. My breathing picked up, becoming quick and shallow.  
Dr. Ivanov skimmed his hand over the instruments, suffering a dilemma of choosing the right one. Maybe he just wanted to give my terror enough time to get comfortable deep in my soul.   
"This will do just fine," He said with sheer excitement, picking up a scalpel.  
"Get away from me!" I screamed, shrinking back in my seat as he touched the icy blade to my neck.

"Oh, we're going to get so much closer. I love chatting with guests who stumble on my compound. There is always so much to talk about. I infected almost the whole compound and the surrounding village with the Las plaga parasites. This has left me with so few who can talk to me without me telling them what to say. It gets rather lonely, you see," He said, clenching the blade tightly in his fist. 

His other hand grabbed the recording device, placing it near my face. "I will play this recording with the hundreds of speakers throughout the compound. It will be impossible for your father and that agent to not hear it, wherever hole they crawled into to hide."

He turned on the recorder and brought it to his mouth. “Good evening gentlemen! I hope you’ve been keeping well and…alive. I will get straight to the point. I have the girl and if you want to save her, bring back what was stolen from me. We will be waiting at the north building by the lake. You have one hour.”

His lips formed a smile before he shoved the blade straight into my thigh.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" I screamed, shaking in my seat as the shocks of pain reverberated from the foreign object embedded in my leg. For something so small and so thin, the pain was unbearable.

"That's it! Scream for me!" He screamed with me, eyes gleaming with pure delight. Swishing the knife in the wound, he prolonged and intensified my screams.  
"J-just k-kill me!" I sobbed, unable to endure the pain. I felt the recorder being roughly shoved against my cheek.

"Oh, no. You can't die before the party! Daddy and your little boyfriend have to come. And come they will if they want to save you." 

"Dad, please don't come here! It's a trap, daddy don't-" I bawled my warning, but Dr. Ivanov turned off the recorder before pocketing it in his lab coat. "Don't come here, don't come..." I whispered breathlessly, even as my only audience walked towards the door. He paused there to glance back at me.

"That little agent Kennedy has proven rather impressive, and I decided not to kill him. Instead, I will make him an asset as soon as the parent Las plagas is back within my hands. I will infect him, and in no time, I will have my own personal spy with a far reach within the D.S.O, one who will never turn against me. That being said, I will make Leon report back that he found nothing here and that your father sold classified information to the black market. Even in the unlikely event he escapes, the D.S.O will brand him a traitor, and what he thinks he knows won't be trusted." He said before walking out of the room and pulling shut a heavy vault door.  
"No..." I whimpered, sagging against my bindings as the blood loss stole my energy. My mind so desperately wanted to fight, but my body had reached its limits. This whole night has been nothing but the live-action enactment of my very worst nightmares

"Please don't come here..."


	7. A Stain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place after Aspen is kidnapped and the recording is made with Dr. Ivanov.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little short but I hope you enjoy it.

I was alone, my only company being the sound playing over the speakers. I always hated my voice in recordings, but now I loathed every syllable formed in the depth of my vocal cords.

My voice sounded foreign coming from the speakers, full of pathetic sobbing and begging. Am I really her? My all too tired eyes glared at the speakers, wishing they would just drop from the ceiling, smashing into a thousand pieces on the cement floor. But what was one speaker among hundreds? The message will reach its intended audience. I've come to accept that reality. There was nothing I could do. I was brought here to lure out dad from hiding. It was determined since the moment I stepped off that bus. 

The security camera in the corner of the room took another swipe of the environment, pointing to the far corner. About two minutes pass, but it had yet to make another sweep of the room. I frowned as I waited for it to move. The mechanical sound of moving never came. The camera never moved. 

I rested my head against the back of the chair, running my tongue over my chapped lips. I reminisced over the memory of cold water flowing down my throat. It seemed so distant, almost like a dream. Will I die before I get a chance for even a sip? I shouldn't have been so picky about tap water.

The room seemed to get hotter and more suffocating. In no time, every inch of my skin glistened. Sweat trickled down my forehead, and all I wanted to do was to wipe it away, but the cuffs were the unwelcome guest that won't leave the party. 

The pain in my leg had fallen to a constant throbbing, bathing the surrounding flesh in heat. I shifted my wrists and ankles in the tight metal cuffs, trying to fight the numbness with blood circulation.

What I didn't expect was for them to snap open with a beep. 

I sat up straight, looking around me with newfound alertness. My mind lit up like a torch fending off the haze, sharpening the resolution of a blurry image. My heart thumped in my chest as I listened in for any sound or movement. 

Nothing. 

I was still alone. No one was walking outside. Seeing this as a good sign, I leaped off the chair. Too haste in my excitement for a possible escape, I forgot about my leg. The pain pulled my leg out from under me, and I fell to my knee. I sunk my teeth into my lower lip to keep from crying out.

No! I can't let this stop me. I can't waste a chance like this.

I rose to my feet, careful not to place too much weight on my injured leg. As I limped to the door, I saw the once red digital keypad flash green, and the door slid open. 

With the cuffs opening on their own, the door unlocking, and the security camera being turned away, the possibility of a technical problem on their part was way too low. This was no coincidence. Someone out there was helping me. It could either be dad, Leon, or someone else who I hoped was on our side. I was tired of the tricks. Whoever it was, I was grateful.

I slipped outside, limping as quietly as I could. I was taken aback by the place's appearance compared to the crumbling hotel I was in before being taken. This place resembled a modern laboratory, complete with numerous ORs. Bright ceiling lights illuminated the solid white walls, floors, and ceiling. By contrast, I was a blood-covered filthy stain in need of elimination with a heavy blend of chemicals.

Large clear glass windows revealed the contents of each room. As I crept past several doors, I ducked under the windowsill, seeing a dark shape from the corner of my eye in one of the rooms. With unease, my eyes peeked inside. I wish I never looked.

Lying face down on an operation table were the remains of a humanoid form. It was covered in blood and encased in a layer of slimy black fluid. What looked like a deformed creature of pure nightmare was being forced to either exit or enter the body's spinal cord. Judging by the black fluid that had exploded all over the equipment and walls, I would say the former. The creature held onto the body with sharp tentacles embedded in the unfortunate person's spinal cord. Neither moved, which would suggest that they must have died in the extraction process. It was something out of a sci-fi movie, but there it was, sitting right in front of me just past the glass. 

I flinched and looked away as I caught sight of the person's face, mouth wide open as the face contorted into pure agony even in death. The eyes were no longer in their sockets, leaving two bloody gaping holes.

I better move on quickly. No use hypothesizing how these people got here and what those creatures were. I passed several more rooms like this, full of nothing but death.

I continued down the hallway, not meeting another soul. Where is everybody? The stillness was eerie, and I kept imagining that something from those labs would wake up and attack me. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I would prefer a crazed villager with a pike to being alone in this place. 

I shivered, recalling the contorted beings. There is just no way those things are from earth. They must be aliens. All those trips to space were bound to bring back some unwanted hitchhikers. Now those things want to enslave mankind with mind control- 

Oh god! Now I'm talking like my Qanon-controlled friend. Their fall was straight down the sinkhole with no return. I haven't spoken to Margret in years. Can't say I missed all the craziness she stored in her back pockets to show anyone who would listen.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

My eyes widened as the sound of footsteps reached my ears. Fuck! My head whipped around, trying to spot somewhere to hid. The hallway was bare of any furniture. I couldn't go back to the jail cell. This could only mean...

I sped to the nearest room and touched the pin pad, but it blinked back red at me. Access Denied.

"Shit!" I cursed under my breath. I tried the next room, and the next, all while the footsteps grew closer. In my hunt for a hiding place, I came across a door that was open a crack. I thanked whatever fool had forgotten to lock it.

I kept my eye away from the display on the operation table, hoping to god the thing was truly dead. It certainly smelt dead, almost forcing my nonexistent stomach contents out as I gaged, and my eyes teared up.

I limped inside without a thought, sliding down the wall as I hid next to one of the machines. I tried to force my breathing into a steady, quiet rhythm. I wonder if they would be able to hear my heart as it thrummed in my ear as loud as thunder. 

Reaching above me, my hand blindly felt around for anything to use as a weapon. I felt something sharp and quickly grabbed it—a pair of scissors. Better than nothing.

I take it back. I don't rather crazed villagers over the clearly dead (I hope so) alien-looking creatures. The footsteps continued down the hall, ignoring all rooms until it stopped right outside my door. 

There is no way they saw me. I was in the room before they even rounded the corner-

My eyes caught on the trail of blood leading right to where I was. My leg had left a trail of blood over the white floors. I was stupid to not have noticed it sooner, but even then, I didn't have anything to stop the bleeding but a muddied excuse for a shirt. My jacket was long gone.

"No, no, no," I whispered, digging my nails into my clammy palms.

I flinched when the door was kicked open, bouncing off the wall with a bang. I held the scissors in both hands tightly, turning my knuckles white. I held my breath as a figure walked past my hiding spot, ready to launch my attack.


	8. Worst Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aspen escapes her jail cell and gets cornered in one of the experiment rooms. Read on to find out how she gets away and returns to a special someone OwO

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to all those who dropped this story a kudos and all those who read this far. Please enjoy!

The machine blocking my body from view was angled against the wall, and within that small dark corner, I huddled. If my nails weren't so filthy, I would've feasted on them enough to leave half the nailbed greeting the world.

Often one is taught to be cautious of the monsters who hide in the dark corners. They wait for us to make the mistake that will stamp a final seal over our fate. They don't need to go hunting. They just linger near the secrets that pull the curious humans like moths to a lamp. Before the fools can grasp the secrets beneath the layer of lingering dust, their time runs out. One never knows how many have lost their lives for the knowledge we take for granted, so easily accessible to us.

As I hide in the dark corner, I feel the tables turn, their legs splinter and collapse. I am the fool who hides in the dark corner while the monsters search, eventually finding what they seek.

Fear had a strong taste. It was one of those flavors you could never mistake for another, let alone stomach for long. It filled my mouth, and no matter how many times I swallowed it down, it crept its way up my throat again like a thousand-legged centipede. The overwhelming sense of a fast-approaching expiration date seared through my overstimulated mind, scraping its claws across my bruised skin. Soon it will break the surface, and nothing will stop it.

My hands were stiff, more devoid of warmth than the cold metal of the scissors I clenched close to my aching muscles. My heart drummed against my chest, setting the rhythm to which I will take my last ragged breath. 

As I saw a single foot slide into view of my hiding spot, I pressed closer to the machine I sat huddled against, hoping to join the dust. The foot stood there, wrapped in a tattered pair of jeans and a pair of shoes whose color was no longer decipherable. 

My muscles tensed as my mind entered a mental battle to fight or to flee. Judging by the number of footsteps, there was only one intruder. I might be able to run, but there was also a chance I could take it down with scissors to the neck. What worries me though, is the possibility that its head would explode, unraveling a set of murderous tentacles. The room wasn't big enough, and even if it was, I was no Leon. I don't think I can think fast enough to dodge. 

Reassuring blue eyes stared back at me as I recalled the man who had saved me innumerable times. He was prepared for his mission, had clear objectives, and the skill of a highly trained agent. I wasn't supposed to be a variable for him to fit around his objectives, and in the process, I complicated things, slowed him down. If he didn't regret hauling around useless, damaged goods then, he most definitely did now. What little peace and sense of safety I found near him was long gone with his absence. He has to alright. Otherwise, all that talk about the eliteness of the D.S.O was just a stroke of the ego.

While I was more concerned with the direction the feet walked, I was too distracted to notice the thing that began touching my hair. My breathing ceased as I looked up just in time to see the hand running its fingers through my hair, almost in an attempt to identify what it was touching in the dark. I lowered my head as the hand reached down again. The intruder was getting more and more persistent, leaning increasingly more against the machine and, in the process, squeezing my body against the wall. I had to strike now before it became too tight to move.

I sprang to my feet and quietly slipped out of my hiding spot. From his position hanging over the machine, arm reaching down my hiding spot, he was too late to react. I kicked the machine, crushing his hand against the wall. No pain crossed his features. He tried grabbing me with his other hand.

With a tight grip on my weapon, I rammed the sharp edge right through his gapping black pupils. Blood gushed out of the ruptured organ, giving my already bloody hands a fresh coat. Again, there was no sign of pain—only a mental order to capture the escapee.

"Dammit!" I hissed, dislodging the scissors from his eye. Aiming right for the back of his neck, I stabbed him as deep as the scissors could go without resistance. Lifting the slippery weapon again, I repeated the onslaught, overcome with the frustration and the helplessness of the whole night. This left me elbow deep in his fluids, an unwelcome warmth against my cold skin.

I stopped only when the body became limp and took a step back to greedily gulp air. I wiped my sweat with the back of my hand, smearing the blood splatters across my face. 

"He's finally dead," I whispered, feeling my head grow lighter and my muscles sag with relief. Time to get out of here. When I turned around to leave, a sound caught my attention.

The fallen villager's body began violently thrashing as he fell to the floor, scissors still impaled in his neck. The head started to increase in size, engorging with a black fluid that began to ooze from the eyes and mouth. My disgust was temporarily overlooked as I ducked for cover just as the head burst, spraying the filthy walls with more filth. Tentacles with a blade of bone emerged from the body, flailing around. Even as it was my second time witnessing its horror, the scream that crawled out of my throat mirrored my first.

What I feared was lying between me and the only exit. He was on the floor, struggling to get up while possessing the only weapon I had. I bolted for the door, jumping over his body. I was almost there when I felt the air whizzing next to my ear and ducked just in time as one of its blades smashed through the glass. I looked back to see it still lying on the floor. It didn't need to see nor stand to launch an attack, and I was foolish to think otherwise. 

I dodged three more times before making it past the doorway. I booked it straight down the hallway. With more concern over what was behind me, I kept looking over my shoulder. The creature emerged out of the room slowly, seeming disoriented, and walked right into a wall.

"What a joke," I laughed in relief and slowed down to a jog, not feeling the same level of urgency to get away. It's too slow, maybe I could- 

Suddenly, it angled its body and then started running straight for me. "Oh fuck, I jinxed the shit of this-" 

I ran into a wall, banging my head nice and hard. Welcome to the end of the fucking hallway. My pain was muffled down to the purrs of a kitten by all the adrenaline gushing out of my heart like a fountain. I sprang to my feet and began running again, careful to keep my eye on the creature gaining on me. 

I ran into another wall. My luck seemed to have abandoned me in the ditch that lay inside of a bigger ditch.

This wall had arms, and they immediately wrapped around me. Great, there were more villagers. Now I was cornered, and the closest thing to a weapon I had was lodged into someone's fucking neck like an accessory. I screamed and used nature's weapon- my nails. I clawed at the arms, and as their grip weakened, I jerked myself free, stumbling several steps back. I have to run around them. I just need to-

"Leon!" I cried, unable to move my limbs as I stared at him. This had to be a dream. There was no way he was real. But then again, I never thought such monsters were a slice of reality. In my elation, I reached my arms towards him for an embrace, but then he did the unexpected.

He aimed a shotgun at me.

"I don't understand. Why-" I stumbled on my words, feeling my heart sink.


End file.
